Friday, August 15, 2008

Elizabeth Falkner's Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These have to be some of my favorite chocolate chip cookies! I found them because they were recommended by Joy the Baker, and she's right that they're fantastic! They're buttery, nice and crisp on the outside yet soft in the middle. They also have a nice kick of salt--make sure to use kosher, or reduce the amount if using table salt. The only change I made to the recipe was to use vanilla sugar in place of the granulated sugar, and then omit the vanilla extract...this worked fine and I don't think it changed the final product. Falkner also suggests adding nuts, which I'm sure would be very tasty!

1. Cream together the butter and the sugars until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, and salt and stir to combine. Sift in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and gently stir to combine. Add the chocolate and stir it in. Cover the bowl and chill at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets (I use tin foil, although parchment might be better). Bake cookies for 13-17 minutes until nicely browned but still soft in the middle. 13 minutes will make a softer cookie, while 17 minutes will make a crisper cookie.